Camp Flips – County Will Release Another $300,000 To New Friendship Ridge Owners And Surrender Lawsuit

Republican Commissioner Dan Camp is now siding with Democratic Commissioner Tony Amadio to approve an agreement with Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services that will end the county’s lawsuit against the company, according to multiple sources familiar with the matter.

Commissioners Egley and Camp voted to file a lawsuit against Comprehensive last July, seeking to recoup over $1 million a forensic auditor determined is still owed to the county from the sale of Friendship Ridge. Although the county initiated litigation against Comprehensive, it never filed a complaint in its case and instead chose to immediately enter settlement negotiations with the company.

The settlement agreement approved last week by Commissioners Dan Camp and Tony Amadio does not require Comprehensive to pay any additional monies to the county, but rather will see the county paying approximately $300,000 to Comprehensive it has been holding in accounts. The funds are comprised of Medicare/Medicaid payments collected by the county after the sale to Comprehensive was finalized.

Sources familiar with Commissioner Camp’s political strategies tell the Beaver Countian he will attempt to explain his dramatic shift by citing the county’s loss in unrelated litigation filed by CJ Betters, requiring Commissioners spend up to $10 million on a county-wide reassessment. Commissioner Camp is expected to reason the county could risk losing millions if it proceeds with its litigation against Comprehensive — money the county could not afford in light of the reassessment costs.

Chief County Solicitor Garen Fedeles notified Comprehensive Healthcare Management Services’ attorneys last week that the Commissioners approved of the settlement agreement. The Board is expected to formally ratify the agreement with Comprehensive later this month.

The end of the county’s litigation against Comprehensive comes before a complaint was filed in the case and before a “discovery” phase of litigation that could have seen current and former Beaver County officials and Comprehensive executives testifying under oath in depositions.

Commissioner Tony Amadio has remained consistent in his opposition to the litigation. Commissioner Dan Camp declined comment when asked by the Beaver Countian about his decision to now surrender the lawsuit.

“My position has remained the same, I disagree with the other two Commissioners,” said Republican Commissioner Sandie Egley, who declined to comment further citing the privileged nature of executive sessions.

Wanna pool our money and buy some property here,? Apparently you get the property, numerous cash kickbacks from individuals totally not allowed to give you them, and then afterwards,, you get to sue for more money. #winwin

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Jan 14, 2018 6:57 pm

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Jim Ernst

Great job.

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Jan 14, 2018 4:49 pm

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wind

We’ll never know the real story in all of this.

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Jan 14, 2018 12:01 pm

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arealregularguy

I find it curious that this settlement comes right before everyone would have to been sworn in before testifying. What are they afraid of?